Spring-gun



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MONAGHAN, OF BATAVIA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS C.MONAGHAN, OF ASPEN, COLORADO.

SPRING-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentlNo. 498,070, dated May 23,1893.

Application filed November 19. 1892. Serial No. 452,487. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MONAGHAN a citizen of the United States,residing at Batavia, in the county of Genesee and'State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Toy Pistols, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to toy pistols or guns which are provided withmeans for projecting a disk of cardboard or paste-board, and it has forits objects to project the disk in a horizontal position from the barreland to impart to the disk a whirling motion whereby it is projectededgewise from the pistol in a straight line and carried to aconsiderable distance.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure l is a perspective view of a toypistol containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side view of the pistolwith one of the sections of its body removed to expose the interiorparts, the projectile mounted on the supporting pins of the pistol andthe projectiles in the receptacle of the pistol being shown in section.Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections of the pistol in lines 33 and 44, Fig.2, respectively. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a modified form ofthe supporting pin.

Like letters of reference refer to like part in the several figures.

A represents the hollow body of the pistol which is preferably dividedcentrallyinto two similar sections, which are secured together at theirfront and rear portions by screws or other fastenings, as shown.

The barrel B of the pistol is formed in its upper side with alongitudinal groove or depression 1) extending from end to end of thebarrel, and the upper edges of the barrel on opposite sides of thisgroove are flat, to form a smooth surface over which the projectileslides. The groove may, however, be omitted.

0 represents the trigger pivoted to the pistol by a transverse pin e andprojecting through the usual slot formed in the under side of the hollowpistol body.

D is the thumb piece connected with th trigger for cooking the pistol,and which passes through a longitudinal slot in the upper side of thepistol.

, E is the trigger-spring of any ordinary or suitable construction.

f f represent a pair of vertically movable pins or projections arrangednear the rear end of the barrel, preferably one in advance of the other,and upon which the card-board projectile is placed. These pins areguided with their upperportionsin openings 9 formed in the adjacent rearportion of the barrel and are attached at their lower ends to a forwardextension h of the trigger hub by a pin 72/, so that the forwardmovement of the trigger causes the pins to slide upward and project withtheir upper ends above the pistol barrel, while the backward movement ofthe trigger causes the pins to be lowered or retracted. The pins aremade of such a length that when they are retracted their upper ends areflush with or below the upper surface of the barrel. They are preferablybent from a single piece of Wire formed at its middle with an eye whichencircles the pin h, as shown in Fig.2.

The projectile consists of a small piece of card-board or paste-board I,having the shape of a disk or wafer, as shown, and provided with twoapertures i 2' arranged on opposite sides of its center which aredesigned to pass over the pins f when the same are raised, so as to holdthe disk against turning as well as retain it in place. The disk restsupon the. flat upper surface of the barrel.

J is an elastic band or cord whereby the wafer-like projectile is shotfrom the pistol when its retaining pins are retracted by pulling thetrigger. This band, preferably, consists of an endless rubber bandattached to 85 an eye it arranged on the under side of the barrel andadapted to extend from this eye forwardly and upwardly over a transverseanti-friction roller Z journaled at the front end of the barrel andthence rearwardly to 0 the projectile. The latter is formed indiametrically opposite portions of its edge with notchest" arrangedsubstantiallyin line with its pin apertures i. The free loop or big'htof the rubber band is engaged with the rear 5 notch, or that nearest thethumb piece of the trigger, when the disk is on the supporting pins f. Asingle notch in each of the disks would be SllffiClGl'llI, but they arepreferably provided with two, as shown, as this permits the disks to beplaced on the supporting pins without giving any attention to theposition of the notches, which would be necessary if they had but onenotch.

M is a magazine or receptacle for holding a number of the disks orwafers, which is arranged below the rear portion of the barrel in theplace occupied by the rotary cartridge chamber of a real pistol. Thisreceptacle is openat its front end and is provided in its under sidewith an opening or recessm through which the finger may be passed forpushing the disks toward the delivery end of the receptacle. Thisaperture is madelarge enough to admit the finger, but not so large as toallow the disks to drop through it.

n is a retaining spring secured at its front end to the under side ofthe barrel and bearing with its angular rear portion against the frontendof the package of disks in the receptacle. This spring, whileconfining the disks in the receptacle, permits one to be readilywithdrawn from the front end of the package, when desired.

In using the pistol, the same is first cocked by pulling backthe'thumb-piece of the trigger in the usual manner, which causes thesupporting pins f to be projected above the upper surface of the barrel.The cardboard disk is then placed upon the projecting pins and theelastic projecting band is stretched forwardly and upwardly around theanti-friction roller Z and its bight or loop j is passed over thecard-board disk and engaged in the rear notch thereof. The strands ofthe projecting band lie in the groove of the barrel, on one side of theretractible pins, out of the centerline of the disk. Upon pulling thetrigger, the supporting pins are retracted from the openings in thedisk, and the latter, being released, is projected from the pistol bythe reaction of the stretched band. The disk rests in a horizontalposition upon the barrel and is projected in this position, whereby itis supported by the air in its flight and carried to a considerabledistance. The supporting pins hold the disk against turning under thetension of the band, but the moment it is released,it receives notonlyaforward impulse, but also a rotary impulse, owing to the fact thatthe band exerts its force upon the disk out of the center thereof. Thewhirling motion so imparted to the disk causes it to retain itshorizontal position and to sail edgewise through the air whereby it iscarried a much greater distance, than it would be by simply projectingit without giving it a whirling motion.

Instead of two pins, a single pin,elongated in the longitudinaldirection of the barrel, as shown in Fig. 5, or any other flat sided pinwhich will hold the disk against rotation may be employed.

The thumb piece of the trigger may be formed with a hammer O and thebarrel may be provided in its rear end opposite said hammer with acap-socket or cavity 1), so that the pistol may be used for shootingfulminating caps, if desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in a toy pistol or gunhaving a horizontal support for a perforated disk-projectile, of avertically movable pin arranged to pass through the perforatedprojectile, a trigger device for retracting said pin, and a projectingband attached to the pistol or gun and adapted to be engaged againstsaid projectile on one side of the vertically movable pin, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a toy pistol or gun, the combination with the barrel having ahorizontal support for the projectile, of a retractible pin arranged onone side of the barrel, a trigger mechanism by which said pin isoperated, and a projecting band secured to the barrel and adapted to beengaged against the projectile on one side of said pin, substantially asset forth.

3. In a toy pistol or gun, the combination with the barrel having ahorizontal support for the projectile, of a pairof retractible pinsarranged one behind the other on one side of the barrel, and aprojecting band secured to the barrel and adapted to be engaged againstthe projectile on one side of said pins, substantially as set forth.

4. In a toy pistol or gun, the combination with the barrel having alongitudinal groove in its upper side, of a pair of retractiblesupporting pins guided in vertical openings arranged in the rear portionof the barrel, trigger mechanism for operating said pins, and an elasticprojecting band adapted to lie in the groove of the barrel,substantially as set forth.

WVitness my hand this 12th day of November, 1892.

JAMES MONAGI-IAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. PRATT, \V. W. CALLEN.

